When I was born, my family fled the little town we were from. Humans started hunting us. Father took us to France, so we could be safe. Most of the time, we were. Mother and father ran from their pack when it was forbidden to do so. The others hunted us. I remember that night. I was eight. My sister, Aveline, held me close in the secret room. Josh, my brother, stood in the room while my parents were outside. All I heard was gunshots ringing in the air. I think I fainted because I woke up sometime later with Aveline holding me. Josh was in front of us and there was a man in front of him. He wants us to go with him, wants Josh to stand in my father’s place with the pack.
“Shifters do not abandon each other in a time of need.”
The man’s voice was steady and calm, yet very stern and authoritative. It scared me, but I also felt comforted. Aveline refused to let me go. I try to go to the man, but she holds me tighter. All of a sudden, the man looks at me and then back to Josh.
“You know what she is to become, yet you hide her. Why?”
“You know why.”
Josh does not sound like himself. He’s angry and afraid. Josh is too stubborn to show weakness; Aveline doesn’t hide it. Fear pours off her as she grips me tighter. At eight, I know what I am and what will happen to me at sixteen. The shift, but everyone protected me more than my siblings. The man looks at Aveline and tries to reassure her.
“Both of you are welcome to keep her. The day her shift takes place, she belongs to me. Maybe I may let you keep her longer until she accepts my son.”
“You’ll use her for your own purposes. You’ll end up killing her.”
“I won’t. For all you know, she and my son may be connected and that scares you.”
“If they don’t click?”
“Time will tell. We won’t know unless you come back with me.”
Josh grows tense, not wanting to give in to the man who I’ve put together as the pack alfa. Who was I that the alfa chose me himself for his son even before I was born? I look up at Aveline with pleading eyes, scared that he may kill them and take me anyway. Finally, she gets the message and stands with a straight spine to face the alfa.
“We will go, but not with you. Give us a week here and you have my word, we will be there.”
“Done. Don’t disappoint me, Aveline.”
She gave him a stern nod and he left.
After he was gone, Josh swung around to see face Aveline. She looked down at me like she would never see me again. Josh walked over and scooped me into his arms.
“Do you know what you just did?”
“What else could I have done? He would have killed us and taken her anyway.”
“So, what do we do now?”
“Stay here with her. I’ll be back in a couple of days.”
“Where are you going?”
“To find a solution.”
Without another word, the air around my sister simmered gold as she shifted into a remarkable brownish-gold wolf and took off. Josh went over to the little couch in our cabin and set me down. He looked at me with storm clouds in his eyes.
“What is it?”
“Nothing, little wolf. You should get some sleep.”
He went over to the door and locked it. As he turned around, he caught my gaze. He came over and bent in front of me, trying to reassure me.
“Everything is going to be alright, little wolf, I promise. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Where did Avy go?”
“I’m not sure. Don’t worry, though, she’ll be back.”
“Josh, who was that?”
“Markus, alfa of our wolf pack.”
“Why does he want me? He has never met me?”
“She is going to hate me for telling you this, little wolf, but you need to know.”
“Know what?”
“Aveline and I have a different father than you. She and I are pure shifters.”
“Am I not a shifter?”
“To be honest, I do not know.”
“My father?”
“He was known as an immortal Ascendant warrior. They tend to stay hidden, but he and mother were mates.”
“Your father?”
“Mother loved him, but he was not her true mate, and they both knew it.”
“Josh, why does he want me?”
“He wants to mingle your blood with his son’s so one day your child may be able to use the warriors. That is what he wants. Little wolf, I’m scared for you.”
“Me too. Where are we going?”
“Back to the pack, in Romania. You’ll get to see where we come from.”
“Is it dangerous?”
“Yes. Humans try to find and kill us. There are other shifter species. You are the first of your kind, you know, it’s why we left. Why the humans came for us.”
“My fault?”
“No. You were a miracle none of us were willing to part with.”
I stood up and wrapped my arms around him as I feel the tears force their way out and onto his shoulder. He hugs me tighter. I do not know when I fell asleep, but I woke up in the middle of the night on my bed. I can hear Josh in the next room, so I fall back asleep.
We waited for Aveline for three days, hoping she returns soon. Our deadline is falling closer. On the morning of the fourth day, Aveline walked to the cabin with another wolf, a male. She and the male sit on the couch as he explains everything. “My name is Blake. I met Aveline a few years ago while on a run. I knew immediately she was my mate. I waited for her and begged her to complete the mating bond I knew was there, but she refused. Always saying how she must protect her family. Four days ago, she came to me saying she was ready to complete the bond. I asked her what changed, and she said nothing, she was still protecting her family. Then she told me what happened and the significance of Aurora. I will come with you and my brother, alfa of our pack has agr
He was born as the prince of his kind. An ancient species of shifters that were believed to be dead. He knew he would take his father’s place as alfa one day but always regretted it. He knew he would have to take a mate and continue the bloodline, but he has met all the females in his clan and none of them connected with him. He grew up as a soldier, to be hard in everything. After his mother died, it was all he had for his father had grown cold to everyone. He continued his duty as alfa and Drake knew it would be him one day. Other shifters knew about them, but none more than their neighbors. The crescent wolf pack. Their territory borders theirs and the wolves always tried for more. Patrols were necessary due to the wolves trying to hunt over the border. Drake knew he had much to prove, especially since his father was not a born alfa, he fought for it and won. His mother, S
Once they got there, Drake found it very crowded. He followed his father as they waited to greet Markus. Once it was their turn, Markus greeted Samuel like an old friend.“Sam, I am glad you could make it.”“We wouldn’t miss an event such as this. The next one may not be in my lifetime.”“You
Markus introduced Aurora to everyone and sure enough, Rafe was almost glued to her side. Every time Rafe touched her, she winced and Drake saw red. He kept his temper in check. It was unheard of for a dragon and a wolf to mate. She was no ordinary wolf. She was the white wolf and she was half Ascendant. He knew he would do anything to keep her safe. As the meal progressed, Drake got angrier seeing what Rafe was doing. Finally, he had to get up and walk away before he ripped his throat out. When it was time to mingle, all she wanted to do was go home. Rafe eventually left her side and she immediately went looking for Josh or Aveline. Instead, she found Drake. She walked up behind him and tapped his shoulder.
For about two years, Aurora trained with her uncle. The sessions were getting more intense. Rafe was trying to force himself on her. One of the other trainees had to play Rafe and not back down. Able was stronger than her, but so was Rafe. When she was knocked on her ass again, Dominik helped her up.“You cannot fail at this. If Able were really Rafe, he’d be inside you already. Do better.”“I’m trying. It’s not exactly easy.”“It’s not supposed to be. I’m not letting you back u
On the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Rafe greeted her at the door to escort her. She accepted but led her away from town. As soon as they were in the clearing, he acted.“You are mine. Do you understand? Mine, not Drake’s.”She fought him off easily thanks to her training which surprised him. She could smell Drake in the distance and decided to go for him. She reached out to him as she shifted and ran for him. Rafe shifted and gave chase. As she crossed the border into the dragon lands, she stopped and spun around to find Rafe would not cross. Drake walked up, seeing the two wolves snarling at each other. He knew Aurora but felt
Everyone was tense to be around Drake, ever since the day she left. Drake was like another person. He trained harder and was fiercer. Before, Rafe would’ve challenged him. Now, you’d have to be an idiot to challenge Drake. He was mean, dark, and ruthless. Rafe was sure if Aurora came home, she’d want him. Every day that passed and he couldn’t feel her, he grew stronger from forcing himself to train harder. Everyone thought it was to keep his mind off her. Little did they know, he was distracting himself. It’s his fault she left. She knew he loved her, but because he didn’t want to try to complete the mating bond, she left. He hoped as time went by, she’d forgive him and come back. Now, a year has passed. She’d be seventeen now and no one has seen her.
Drake went home more confused than ever. Would she come back to him? She has a whole new outlook than just this piece of land. He wanted to write her back but had so many questions. Did he even know her anymore? When he got home, his father asked to see him.“Son, I need to speak with you.”“What is it?”“I assume you went and saw Markus. Did he tell what you wanted to know?”“I do